HTTYD : The Book of Oneshots
by BrightAmii
Summary: As the name implies, this book will be a collection of oneshots based around the How To Train Your Dragon series! I will write nearly everything, whether it be canon deviation, time travel, canon compliant or even a modern au! This is the first book I'm publishing to this site, so please send me your feedback! I'd love to hear from you!
1. Chapter 1 - Eyes

Heya! Thank you so much for checking out this book. It's been quite a while since I've written a book of oneshots so I'm a little out of practice. However, I'm gonna allow you guys to request a few ideas. If I find one particularly interesting, I'll do my best to write it!

Quite a few of the oneshots in here will be based on "what if" scenarios. I really enjoy wondering what would happen if things went a different way from canon (for example, what if Hiccup hadn't shot Toothless down)

If you've got a "what if" scenario, I'd love to hear it!

This is the first fic I've uploaded to , so I'm just testing a few things out. I've already published this chapter as well as two others to WattPad already, so keep an eye out for those!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this first chapter! I all it "Eyes"

-Ami

—

Astrid loved everything about his eyes.

His irises, a deep malachite. Windows to a wild forest of tangled bushes and brambles. They reflected his wild side, his daring ambition, his impulse.

Two gleaming, glistening emeralds that shone like the sun. They reflected his brightness, his intellect, his creativity and his constant yearn to learn and create.

A wide, vast meadow, an endless expanse of freedom. Rolling hills and fields of flowers. They reflected his innocence, his joy, his love for the world and the dragons in it.

Astrid didn't just love his eyes, she loved the personality they held within them. They reflected everything that made Hiccup special, they reflected everything she loved about him.

But... one day, those eyes lost their wildlife.

 _A young man stands and watches his father's ship sail from the shore._

One day, those eyes lost their light.

 _He grasps a bow, solemnly lighting the tip of it's arrow._

One day, those eyes dimmed in colour.

 _Raising the bow, he releases. He watches as flames engulf the ship._

One day, those eyes became sombre. They became dull, and tired. They became irritated and angry. They became anxious and unsure. They became _unrecognisable_.

Behind the sadness, the fatigue, the pain, Astrid could not find Hiccup. She could only find a broken boy, filled with guilt, sorrow and grief. For the loss of his father, and for the loss of his freedom.

Astrid watches, as the man she loves slaves over hours upon hours worth of work, how he jadedly ends a quarrel between two bickering spouses, and how he, resigned, wakes up at the crack of dawn, not to go flying with Toothless like he previously did, but to repeat the chore of chiefdom again, and again, and again.

When he saddles Toothless, he does not feel excitement like he did before. Toothless is the Alpha, and Hiccup is the Chief. When they leave the ground, there isn't any enjoyment. It is business. It is their duty. Astrid is shocked to find that even the fierce, but goofy eyes of the _Night Fury_ have dulled.

Astrid looks within those pained sets of eyes, and they are _exhausted._ Astrid pauses, and thinks. Then she realises. She now understands.

One morning, while the stars are still in the sky, she quietly goes to wake him.

"Psst... Hiccup. Wake up."

Hiccup groans and rubs his eyes. "Astrid... what are you doing up...? The sun isn't even out yet..."

Astrid only puts her finger to her lips and gestures for the boy to follow her outside. "Saddle up Toothless," she says, simply.

And so Hiccup reluctantly exits his warm covers and equips his flying gear, following his girlfriend into the cold night. The sky begins showing a glimpse of morning, but the stars and moon have not disappeared just yet.

He finds Astrid waiting at the bottom of the steps, already mounted upon Stormfly. "Let's go," she says, as she takes off.

Hiccup has no time for words as his dragon eagerly follows the girl and her Nadder.

The rush of air while taking off is something that Hiccup has not acquainted himself with for weeks, it is an almost foreign feeling. But as Toothless levels out within the clouds, the unfamiliarity subsides. The sky was a second home to him. As he cheekily follows Astrid in pursuit, it is as if he never left.

They spin and dive in the air, the wind rushing at full force. Time seems to slow down, even when the early morning sun begins to hit their faces. To them, there is nobody else in the world. Just themselves, and their dragons.

Astrid looks at Hiccup and Toothless. What she sees does not surprise her, but still makes her heart soar. She does not see a boy and a dragon. She instead sees one whole being, two halves of a whole, two brothers who lost a little but gained so much from one another. She sees her beloved, a smile she has not seen in weeks. She watches as he lets go of his handles, and spreads his arms out like wings. She watches as he takes a breath, and opens his eyes with a smile.

Those _eyes._

They're pained, they're broken. They're worn and they're tired. But within the wreckage there is _life._

The forests are growing over, the emeralds are polished and shined. It's not a lot, but within those, big, bittersweet green eyes there is evidence of _healing._

And Astrid cannot be happier to see, that within those eyes...

There is a flame.

—

I kinda experimented with this oneshot. I tried going for a poetic sort of style while still adding in some dialogue and some excuse of a plot haha

But yeah! The first _actual_ finished oneshot for this book! This one was fairly easy because, like I said, there isn't much of a plot and there's mostly just poetic, artsy stuff and a lot of repetition. I'll try to get a couple more oneshots out soon, but I do have a bad reputation of saying stuff will come out soon, and _actually_ have them come out a year later (I'm ashamed to say that I'm not even exaggerating)

So yeah, don't take my word for it lol

-Ami


	2. Chapter 2 - Darkest Night

This is actually the prologue to another fic I'm writing. It's based on the Race To The Edge episode 'Darkest Night', where they showed what would happen if Hiccup hadn't shot down Toothless. The scenario was rushed and left out key plot points (understandable, because it was told from Astrid's perspective and you can only fit so much into a 23 minute episode) so I wanted to write it out and fully flesh out the scenario. This is only the prologue, after all, so it will only show the opening scene. I hope you enjoy it!

-Ami

—

"C'mon, gimme somethin' to shoot at, gimme somethin' to shoot at..."

My hands are trembling upon the handle. Whether it's from the cold of the early Nordic morning or from the fear of being eaten alive, I don't bother to figure it out. All my focus is upon this first kill. This first strand of hope to finally, _finally_ be a Viking. To turn disapproving, judgemental eyes into ones of pride and acceptance.

The entirety of my fate, is within this bola launcher, within this _first kill_ , and I only have a single shot at it. I have to make it count.

I hear the unmistakable shriek of the Night Fury echoing in the dark sky. I prepare myself, all my senses alert and my hands placed firmly on the trigger. I can see an outline in the sky where the stars don't take form. It begins to come closer, and I ready the launcher. The dragon begins to charge up its blast, ready to destroy the watchtower. I have full concentration.

When I hear the Night Fury's signature roar, I begin to take aim. I hear an explosion and the watchtower before me is reduced to splinters. It's difficult to see, and I almost miss the figure emerging from the flames. This is my chance. I pull the trigger on the launcher, sending the bolas into the sky. I hear a echoing clang, and for a split second I wonder if I've done it. But I take a look above me, and the dragon swoops above me, remaining unharmed. I can feel my heart shattering. "No..." I say dejectedly. "No!"

I let out a cry of frustration, my eyes welling up. I violently shove the launcher to the side, making it clatter noisily. In my angry fit, I don't notice a large, angrier form beginning to clamber towards me. It's pupils are only mere slits, and if it weren't for its angry snarling alerting me it was there, I would be reduced to ashes within a second. "Uh..." I stammer, as the Monstrous Nightmare lights it's scales and sprints after me as I run, wailing down the hillside.

I don't let my legs rest for a single second, barely dodging each furious blast as I bolt through the village. I take refuge for a moment behind a tower, cowering as the dragon unleashes it's fire behind me. When the flames lessen, I dare to peak around the remains of the pole. I think I've lost the beast when suddenly a huge fist collides with a scaled head that was about to eat me alive. The Nightmare prepares a blast, but only a few drops of molten rock shoot out of its throat. It seems to realise it's disadvantage and it yelps. "You're all out," a gruff voice says, as the Viking's fist comes in contact once again with the dragon's face. I watch, terrified, yet amazed at the pure strength and bravery within the man. He wrestles with it for another couple moments before the beast spreads its wings and flees.

Suddenly, I remember my situation and quietly try to slip away, when the massive tower splits and tumbles down the hillside, it's fire-lit torch tumbling with it. All I can do is wince at the destruction caused. I slowly turn my head towards the burly Viking who saved my life, bracing myself for his reaction. "S-sorry, Dad..." I say, meekly. He only groans in frustration, as he pulls me towards the house. "I-I was really close though! Really! I just need to fix a couple of things to better my aim, maybe make some calibration adjustments and I should be..."

"Enough!"

I flinch at my father's booming voice echoing through the village.

"Just... enough. Every time you step outside, disaster follows! Can't you see I have bigger problems? Winter is almost here, and I have an entire village to feed!" He rants loudly, frustration evident in his words. I try to lighten the mood, or rather, shield my embarrassment by making one of my snarky comments. However, it only heightens the tension. Finally, he sighs in resignation. "Hiccup... you are many things... but a _dragon killer_ is not one of them. Get back to the house."

A while later, after an onslaught of mocking and a scolding from my blacksmith mentor, I climb the stairs to my room and roughly flop myself into my chair. I lay my head on my desk, an array of diagrams and drawings scattered on it. I close my head and sigh.

"Typical."

—


End file.
